St. Georg Austrian High School and Commerce School

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1303 (first structure) / 1677 (current structure)

Location:

Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Marki de Nointel (current structure)

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • The site of the structure, dating back to the early periods of Christianity, is first recorded in sources from 1303.
  • In 1677, the French Ambassador Marquis de Nointel obtained the necessary permissions from Sultan Mehmed IV and had the complex, which included the school, rebuilt.
  • In 1882, accepted as the official founding date of the present high school, the complex, together with the church within it, was purchased by the Austrian Lazarists.
  • The building, where education was interrupted twice during the First and Second World Wars, has continued its educational activities uninterruptedly since 1947.
  • The historic structure was restored in the early 20th century and redesigned in a European architectural style.
Prominent Features:
  • Also known as the Austrian High School, the institution graduated its first students in 1913.
  • The school’s historical roots date back to a school opened in 1628 within the Sankt Georg Catholic Church.
  • The campus, together with the adjacent Sankt Georg Church, is situated within the historic urban fabric of Galata.
  • The similarity between the logos of Galatasaray Sports Club and St. Georg Austrian High School continues to be a subject of discussion.
  • Among the school’s alumni are İlber Ortaylı and Mesut Yılmaz.